


Walk Through the Fire

by Webtrinsic



Series: The Fantastic Four's MCU Origin, with lots of Johnny whump (S.1) [5]
Category: Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Fantastic Four (Movies 2005-2007), Fantastic Four (Movies), Fantastic Four (Ultimateverse)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Dialogue Heavy, Discussion of Powers, Guilt, Heart-to-Heart, Honesty, Insecurity, Introspection, Protective Team, Protectiveness, Pyromania, Pyromaniac Johnny Storm, Sibling Love, Team Feels, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25426318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: Discussions are had, and Johnny finally confesses his fear to his brother in law. Meanwhile Dr. Doom makes a powerful ally.
Relationships: Ben Grimm & Reed Richards & Johnny Storm & Susan Storm
Series: The Fantastic Four's MCU Origin, with lots of Johnny whump (S.1) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665754
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Walk Through the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this took a while :) I'm trying to enroll into college

It took him longer than he’d liked to admit that he’d made a miscalculation, he didn’t know whether or not to blame it on his troubled head or his tendency to put up a front in show of weakness, but he’d miscalculated nonetheless.

He’d played it up too far, something Everett had only lightly suggested he’d done maybe more so to convince himself rather than his family that he was okay. Of course they didn’t believe him, he hadn’t shown he’d been affected at all.

It wasn’t natural to not have nightmares, to not cry out and sob, or even be angry. He’d decidedly done none of those things, and when they’d nearly occurred he’d refused to acknowledge them or even speak out about them happening.

Trauma couldn’t just be brushed off, and some were forced to forget because there was nothing they could do for the time being, but he hadn’t forgotten and they knew that. If he’d forgotten he wouldn’t have been able to describe Doctor Doom at all.

And they all had something to say.

* * *

Surprisingly, and possibly not so surprisingly Ben is who approached him first. Johnny was still on crutches too so it wasn’t as if he could get away when the man approached him on the helipad.

Something as of late had been drawing him to it, it didn’t necessarily seem to be a bad thing, at least he was telling himself it wasn’t but his family didn’t seem to believe that either, even if they didn’t have the guts to say anything about it. He did see them pacing along the windows when he was there though.

Looking out and over the skyline, Ben saddled up, not once sparing the teen a glance, the view in front of them all too captivating to ignore. 

“How blunt do you want me to say it?” To any outsider Johnny was certain they would have taken offence to the question, Ben had always been tactfully blunt, it didn’t always seem like it but he was.

Him asking this was something different, and when Johnny heard the question, he really heard it as: _How do you want me to say this so I don’t hurt you?_

“Be as blunt as you want,” he didn’t think anything could hurt him anymore, his wounds were already deep.

“Whatever it is, I’m willing to bet it isn't enough for us to throw you out or stop caring about you,”

A shot of anger spiked within Johnny at the comment, the handles on his crutches going warm as he retorted. 

“I didn’t do anything wrong if that’s what you’re insinuating,”

“Damnit kid I wasn’t, now will you let me say what I need to say so you can say your piece?” Ben turned his head then, his whole body following a second after but Johnny refused to move, only giving a firm nod and locking his jaw, waiting.

“I know your head isn’t empty, and I know there’s more to you that meets the eye. You took on a big responsibility when you put on that suit, one I sure as hell didn’t think you’d actually understand but one you’d live up to regardless. The Fantastic Four wouldn’t be what it is without you, this...this family wouldn’t be either. Don’t get a fat head when I tell you this, but you’re competent in anything and everything you do. And you showed that, and you will again and again, and it's something to me. It’s something just being around you doing what I know you were meant to do, in a way that’s very you. Right now though, you’re hurt and mending and god Johnny I can’t pretend to know what’s going on in that stubborn head of yours, dammit we’re here for you,”

Ben internally groaned at his own speech, fearing he’d grown soft and maybe he had, maybe he had grown soft for the couple he thought to be his siblings, and the little pyromaniac that he uncle’d around.  A long enough pause settled between them that Ben didn’t think the boy was going to react at all. But finally the boy turned, face drawn softly before his head dropped against Ben’s sternum with a soft thump.

The Thing's large hand came up to cup the back of the boy’s neck, the heat emanating off of him unnatural but not uncomfortable or unwelcome. Neither moved, Ben unwilling to let go before the kid and Johnny didn't seem anywhere near ready either.

The sun sheathed itself into the horizon, the moon rising from its ashes and into the sky. Johnny didn’t move until the air was freckled with stars that only Ben could see since the teen wouldn’t lift his head.

The flame wielding hero shrugged back indoors, ignoring Susan and Reed’s obvious attempts to act like they hadn’t been snooping before crawling into bed, demanding his body relax and rest.

* * *

It was coming, they all knew it,  _ Johnny _ knew it. She was skulking around, getting ready to pounce with whatever she had to say to him soon. She had plenty of opportunities to do so Johnny mused, he couldn’t exactly get very far with his crutches, and the pain pills were also weighing him down, if she had something to say he wanted her to just say it. He was tired of waiting, the anticipation an unneeded burden and unhelpful to his situation.

In fact the hand rest on his crutches had molded to his grip, the heat he was putting off making it malleable. Something he didn’t think had gone unnoticed, Reed practically bore a hole into the thing with his stare, but he hadn’t said anything about it either.

Deciding to make it easy for her Johnny limped to her bedroom knowing Reed was busy in the lab - he wasn’t down there often anymore and tried not to be after the whole ordeal, but Johnny was grateful he could take the opportunity to talk alone with his sister, even if he’d only really be listening.

He also didn’t think he could handle the two of them concerned parenting at once.

“Can I come in?” the pyromaniac called, rapping his knuckles against the door. It opened all too suddenly, even before he could fully regain his grip on his supports. 

“Johnny, you should be in bed,” Susan bemoaned, sniffling, her eyes the slightest hint of red as if she’d been crying.

Deciding not to comment, Johnny fell into the roll of little brother easily, stepping inside and carefully leaning his crutches against the wall before gingerly crawling into her bed, mindful of his injuries.

Sue followed easily, bunching up the covers over them both and hesitantly pulling the teen into an embrace, his face flush with the crook of her throat, the same way she used to hold him when he was much younger.

“I didn’t mean my bed,” a lie, she was pleased either way.

“You didn’t specify,” Johnny murmured, listening to the steady beats of her heart, willing the beats to never cease.  Twining her fingers in the boy’s hair, Susan pillowed her head on his own, feeling more whole than she had in weeks.

“I love you,” she whispered, scratching lightly at his scalp.

“I love you too,” 

“I was thinking we could talk,” Johnny buried himself closer when he realized the faintest hint of uncertainty in her tone.

“I know I’m not always the easiest to talk to, and it may seem that sometimes I’m either too busy or too preoccupied to listen. I want to be there for you. I want you to be able to tell me things. I guess...I want to really be your sister again. I think after all this time with Reed and I acting like parents, we never got the chance to be siblings. And with everything that’s been happening, everything that’s happened...I want to help,”

Exhaling, Johnny nodded, the sentiment was sweet and he did think sometimes they talked more like mother and son rather than siblings. And if he was admitting it to himself, even if he was only admitting it a little; he wanted her help.

The siblings fell asleep curled together, surprising a rather frantic Reed when he stepped in. He’d seen Johnny’s door open and the teen had been nowhere in sight. It seemed stupid that he hadn’t checked their room sooner, Johnny and Susan had almost a gravitational pull, especially when something was wrong.

A soft huff of laughter blew out through Reed’s teeth as he got ready for bed, laying beside the two and pulling them into his arms, Johnny carefully settled between them.

* * *

He’d long since retired his crutches to the closet, had undergone a fair amount of physical therapy, and even gotten into the rhythm of homeschooling; still Reed hadn’t brought it up. At first it’d felt like a breath of fresh air but now it was suffocating. The ever so talkative, well talkative when it came to things he found mattered, Reed had been silent.

Maybe he’d have to start it, get the ball rolling until the man _had_ to say something. No, no that was dumb, Reed always had a reason for everything and anything. Him not saying a single word meant something. 

If he wasn’t mistaken, Reed’s silence didn’t stem from the need to placate anyone other than  _ himself _ . And Johnny being Johnny wasn’t going to let his brother-in-law wallow any longer, so he did something not only hazardous to his own healing body, but obnoxious enough that it might shake Reed into the quote on quote “Parent Mode,” and force him to talk.

It’d be a little difficult to pull it off with his limp and slow gate, but he had an idea of what to say.

Johnny hobbled down the hall, waiting for Reed to emerge from the lab, hoping Ben wasn’t with him. He’d rather talk with him alone.

Luckily Reed emerged a mere fifteen minutes after Johnny started his pacing. Reed seemed a little startled to suddenly see him, but he smiled quickly, taking him in before moving on. Except the second Reed lifted his arm and planted a passing squeeze to his shoulder, Johnny launched himself into the man’s side.

Locking his arms around the older man, Johnny refused to let go. Not doing anything to discourage the hug Reed thought he was in. He hadn’t had a proper hug from Reed in a while, it was nice.  The scientist under the impression Johnny needed what was happening didn’t pull away, rubbing the teen’s back and tucking his head against his throat. It wasn’t until an endless amount of time passed that a frown graced Reed’s features, ire settling down within his nerves and cramping his flexible muscles.

“Johnny?” Reed did nothing to hide the worry in his tone, his fingers tangling in the teen’s nape in an attempt to pry the boy’s head out from his skin so he could see his face. Still the pyro refused to let go, burying deeper into his hold.

In response to the lack of answer, Reed resubmitted himself to the hug, resting his chin on Johnny’s shoulder and begging his unshed tears not to slip. Footsteps padded unnoticed behind them before they awkwardly retreated, leaving them back alone even when they hadn’t noticed they’d been intruded upon in the first place.

“Johnny?” Reed found himself trying again when his legs were threatening to topple with fatigue. Not feeling any give from the blond, Reed began to hobble back towards the living room, falling back onto the couch with Johnny plummeting onto his chest with a small wince.

“I think you need to talk more than I do  _ dad _ ,” Johnny finally murmured, a little winded but otherwise unharmed, hoping his endearment was enough to get him speaking.

“I’m conflicted,” Reed admitted with an exhale, staring through the ceiling because he didn’t think he could even look at a hair on Johnny’s head. “I know you’re capable of this, of helping the team. Of doing great things, and just...doing good…You’re...you. I knew you’d get hurt eventually, I knew we’d all get hurt in some way, and I thought I’d be ready or even at least prepared to handle it and intervene when it was happening but...I couldn’t do anything. He came and he stole you when you should have been safe. He strapped you to a goddamn table and I was helpless then and I'm still...Johnny you act like nothing happened at all. You give us nothing we can do to help,” A heartbreaking laugh escaped his lips, hysteric and broken, it shaking Johnny who lay prone on his chest.

“Remember when you were little and you sprained your ankle? You didn’t want to tell us so you kept walking on it until you could barely walk at all. I sat with you for hours, waiting for you to just tell me what was wrong, and just when I thought you were going to say something, you didn’t. I only figured out it was your ankle because when I asked you to pick up your backpack you couldn’t even walk. It had swelled up so badly I had to tear your pant leg off. Susan kept gushing about how you looked so cute in those lightning Mcqueen shorts I had to put you in so they could wrap your leg,”

Johnny did remember that, vaguely, he’d been what? five at the time. He hadn’t known that it’d affected Reed so greatly. What Reed needed he’d displayed perfectly in his reminiscing, and it was a huge hit to his pride but Johnny could give Reed something.

“What do you think of my powers?” the space between them warmed as the anxiety in Johnny’s gut boiled, and even as Reed began to swelter beneath him, he held him tighter.

“I think they’re very you, and I think in the grand scheme of things they don’t make you not you-”

“No, I’m not worried about them changing me. I want you to tell me what you think of them in general,” the small outburst had made the situation warmer, nearly burning Reed if it wasn’t for Johnny taking a long exhale and settling back into a somewhat sense of calm.

“Well...I think they’re something I and others intrinsically try to moralize like we do wild animals. It’s neither good nor bad, they’re certainly overwhelming, but in the end, I don’t think they’re bad. In fact they’ve seemed to be the saving grace of the team itself. Fire is one of the most integral parts of life, and I’m just so glad that you have them, because in the end with powers like yours I can only deduce _intent_ and _control_ is what matters.”

“Oh,” Johnny exclaimed softly, gripping onto Reed like a child. 

“Now something tells me you also have something else to say,” Reed nudged, detangling a small knot from the boy’s hair and holding his breath for an answer.

“You’re sure the suits are fireproof?” Johnny asked miserably, it being the only way to express his concern without outright saying, ‘ _I’m afraid I’m going to kill you._ ’ Luckily Reed understood it instantly. 

“Oh Johnny,” Reed dismayed outwardly sobbing, nodding fervently into the boy’s hair. He’d thought he’d taken everything into account when it came to Johnny’s powers, everything except what Johnny thought of them.

* * *

Doom dropped onto a knee before a being with a power even he envied, his plan flowing from his lips and his request for her assistance voiced reverently through his mask.  A sharp grin cut across her striking features, a laugh buzzing in the air, and when she spoke Doom shuttered at the sound. A vibrant almost artificial purr.

“Welcome to my grand design,”

**Author's Note:**

> snap: allisonw1122  
> tumblr/twitter: webtrinsic1122  
> insta: webtrinsic
> 
> also the voice I'm tryna describe basically sounds like she-venom because i found it suiting to her


End file.
